Antonio Co

Musician and Student in Manila

Antonio Co

Musician and Student in Manila

Ever since then, I was always unsure of my own abilities. And I was always wont to shy away from a performance. Sometimes I would even ask if I was really the person for the job. But contrary to what I always profess to myself in my mind, I would always be surprised to receive out of the blue compliments both from my peers and audiences. Maybe I was able to deliver a good performance, after all. And maybe I am not really as half bad as I seem to myself sometimes.

Well, perhaps if I can be fair to myself, I was mostly a self-taught musician. I did teach myself how to sing and play the guitar. Witnessing an unforgettable production like Les Misérables in 2016 in Solaire and with exceptional guitarist Sungha Jung serving as my forefront inspiration not just in guitar but in music in general, I continued to practice fervently until such time I was able to prove myself worthy of competing with other students my age on the national level. On my third and final attempt, I was able to secure 4th place in vocal solo male, 1st place in solo string plucked (guitar), and another 1st place in expressive reading male (acting) in the National Student Convention in Roxas City back in 2018.

Now, I am currently studying music, majoring in vocal performance at the Conservatory of Music in University of Santo Tomas (Manila) and have been since 2023 an active member of the UST Singers, a world-renowned choir that frequently goes on tours in Europe, Asia, and other countries. The choir is oftentimes invited to sing and perform at various events all year-round all over the country and has also recently won the Grand Prix in the Grieg International Choir Festival at Norway in 2024 which I was a part of.

Since then, I have been opening myself more to collaborations and opportunities. I firmly believe that making connections and being able to work well with other people can get you very far in life. And I have always been passionate about teaching and learning more about what it means to be a mentor, performer, and musician.